1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to collapsible tables and, more specifically, to collapsible picnic tables in which a seat is integrally connected to a table surface.
2. The Prior Art
Collapsible tables are well known in the prior art. Such tables typically provide for pivotal movement of the support legs from an extended position into a collapsed position against an underside of the table surface. In the collapsed condition, the table occupies much less space and is readily stored.
Moreover, tables of the type generally referred to as "picnic" tables have been achieved in a collapsing configuration. As with stand alone tables, the legs of such picnic tables collapse from an extended, freestanding, position into a storage, or collapsed, condition. A major distinction with picnic tables is that a pair of seats are integrated with the table into a single unit. As the picnic tables collapse, the table and seats move into a coplanar relationship of relatively narrow profile, greatly facilitating transportation and storage.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,648,652 and 2,690,210 are representative of state of the art collapsible tables of the "picnic" table configuration. As shown therein, a guide track is formed along an underside of the seats of the unit. End panels or legs are pivotally coupled at an upper end to opposite sides of the table top, and pivot inward and outward between a collapsed, storage, position and an extended, functional, position.
Each of the end panels or legs is adapted having a coupling portion which slidably engages the guide track beneath the seats. As the end panels are pivoted outward, the coupling portions travel along the guide track from an inward end to an outward end. Once positioned in the extended condition, the end panels are locked into place by means of brace bars which attach at opposite ends to the underside of the table top and to a respective end panel.
While the aforementioned state of the art collapsible picnic tables function well and have been well received by users, certain shortcomings inherent therein prevent such known tables from representing an ideal solution. First, the hardware associated with the hinge couplings and guide tracks, and the fasteners necessary for their assembly to the seats and table top, makes conventional collapsible picnic tables relatively expensive and cumbersome to assemble.
Secondly, the pivotal configuration of the end panels and the table top, in conjunction with the sliding connection between the end panels and the seats, creates pinch points that can capture and harm a user's fingers. This creates a safety concern, particularly when the table is sized intentionally for use by small children.
In addition, the tables described above rely solely upon the brace bars or members for keeping the end panels or legs in the extended condition. Structural failure or disattachment of such brace bars, therefore, can precipitate an unexpected collapse of the table and injury to the user. Such tables lack an effective, reliable locking mechanism that can back up the function of the brace bars in keeping the legs in their extended orientation.
Finally, conventional picnic tables are fabricated out of relatively heavy materials such as wood for the seats and table top, and metal for the associate hardware. Such materials make the table unit cumbersome to carry as well as expensive to manufacture. A light, durable, yet structurally sound, alternative to known collapsible picnic tables is, accordingly, a long sought objective.